To us, it's unacceptable to improve a vehicle in one area and create a new weak point, or points, in the process. This is especially true when modifying a truck used for work. Fortunately, preplanning and carefully analyzing modifications can ensure that a vehicle is improved without being compromised.
When we recently wanted to upgrade our '99 Super Duty, we had several criteria. In the end, it had to have better ground clearance, approach and departure angles, and it needed to be fortified to handle the rigors of work. We were not willing to trade off towing, hauling, or snowplowing manners. We did not want to have to spend the money to regear the differentials either. Our rig is a workhorse in every sense of the word and it needed to stay that way.
For this reason, we decided to go with a mild 4-inch suspension lift. We chose a Superlift kit, which we knew would give us the results we wanted while retaining the ride and handling. Since the roads are pretty crappy where this truck is based, we wanted a heavy-duty set of shocks that could handle sustained abuse. Superlift offers some really good shocks, but we opted for a set of remote-reservoir Bilstein 7100 Series shocks because of their legendary reputation and the fact that they recently received a couple of noteworthy upgrades. For wheels, we chose a set of quality black Weld Method wheels. They look good without being blingy and they're easy-to-clean, lightweight, and strong. Nitto Dune Grapplers got the nod as the tire of choice. They may seem odd on a work truck, but with a 3,750-pound maximum load rating and an all-weather design, they're versatile enough to handle the work we need done. Finally, we installed a Superlift Rock Ring to protect the front axle, and a Superlift Tru Speed to recalibrate the speedometer.
You can read our thoughts on the finished vehicle in the sidebar. For now, follow along as we showcase the highlights of this work truck buildup.
1. Like we said, our Super Duty is a workin' dog. Example: Before the crew at Attitude Performance could even begin the installation of the new parts, they had to chip away weeks of rock-hard snow and ice that had gathered under our never-garaged truck. After that miserable task, we removed the front bumper and snowplow frame so we could access the front suspension. Ford uses a liberal amount of thread lock on the front leaf-spring bolts, but a powerful impact wrench was enough to break them free. Sometimes a torch is needed to heat up the bolts to soften the thread lock so the leaf-spring bolts can be removed.
2. The big pain in the neck was getting the stock upper track-bar mount removed from the frame so we could install the new Superlift track-bar bracket. Why? Well, the upper track-bar mount is fastened to the frame using three bolts. Two of the bolts screw into nuts pressed into a thin metal tab located inside the framerail. The front bolt on our rig was rusted to the nut, which caused the bolt to break from the tab. Matt Dinelli of Attitude Performance says that he has found this occurs in about half of the older Super Duty's in the Rust Belt. The solution is to torch off the frozen nut. Worse, the tab is virtually impossible to remove from the framerail (apparently Ford never intended it to be removed), so a small access hole has to be cut in the frame (shown) and the tab has to be weaseled through the new hole.
3. Here you can see the damaged...
3. Here you can see the damaged and rusty tab after it was removed from the frame. The forward bolt is twisted off and the whole tab is tweaked.
4. Here is the tab after technician...
4. Here is the tab after technician Greg Thies welded on a new nut and straightened the whole assembly. Dinelli says that another option is to weld the two nuts directly to the inside of the framerails.
5. The new Superlift track-bar...
5. The new Superlift track-bar bracket didn't line up with the third mounting hole, so we had to enlarge it slightly. We doubt it was due to the Superlift bracket. Instead, we figure it was due to something tweaked in our rig's frame from years of hard-core snowplowing.
6. With the tab repaired and...
6. With the tab repaired and the aforementioned hole enlarged, the Superlift track-bar mount was installed. After that, the hole we cut in the frame was filled, smoothed, and painted.
7. Our kit included new Select...
7. Our kit included new Select Series front springs with 10 leaves, which replace the stock two-leaf spring packs. These springs are specific to Power Stroke-equipped rigs. Different springs are used for V-10-equipped trucks. The kit also contains new U-bolts, plates, and hardware.
8. We installed Superlift's...
8. We installed Superlift's optional Bullet Proof braided steel brake lines (shown). Superlift also offers extended-length rubber brake lines. These extended lines are mandatory for the taller front suspension. Ours installed without any drama. We then installed the new front antisway-bar drop brackets and links.
9. To be on the safe side,...
9. To be on the safe side, we chose to install the optional Superlift dual steering-stabilizer kit. This kit includes a pair of shocks and all the hardware needed to complete the install.
10. The Bilstein 7100 Series...
10. The Bilstein 7100 Series remote-reservoir shocks are as happy on a full-on race truck as they are on a work truck. They have a 2-inch-diameter body and a high-flow piston and ours were valved for our application. A new clear powdercoat finish over the nickel plating is standard and we welcome this corrosion-resistant finish here in the salty Midwest. Also new are rugged braided stainless steel lines. Normally, the 7100s come with 1/2-inch spherical rod ends, but we opted to skip those and install polyurethane bushings with steel sleeves from Prothane (PN 19-92O).
11. The last thing we did...
11. The last thing we did to the front of the truck was to mount an optional Extreme Ring over the differential cover. We installed ours without breaking the seal on the cover, though sometimes this procedure will cause a leak and you'll have to remove the cover and seal it back up with silicone. Designed to stand up to boulders, we know the Extreme ring will be more than capable of guarding our diff when we're blasting through snow or mud. Yes, we know the front axle is oily. That's the way the 7.3L diesel rolls.